Perse teacher features in Mary, Queen of Scots TV documentary
Perse History teacher Alexander Courtney is featured in a major new documentary about the uncovering of centuries-old secrets surrounding Mary, Queen of Scots.
The Perse Assistant Head (Teaching & Learning) discusses his role in helping transcribe a series of letters written in code in the late 16th century in Marie Stuart, L’Énigme des Lettres Codées, a film commissioned by French television channel ARTE.
Alternative versions of the original documentary have been produced for broadcast in other countries, with BBC2 screening The Secret Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots on Monday 20 October.
Dr Courtney got involved in the transcription project in 2023 after being made aware by Perse Head of History Nuala Long of the work of cryptanalysts George Lasry, Norbert Biermann and Satoshi Tomokiyo, who discovered and deciphered the letters.
At the time, he was carrying out research for his biography of Mary’s son James VI of Scotland (and I of England and Ireland), James VI, Britannic Prince, which was published last year.
The film follows the journey of the team as they reflect on unlocking the mysteries contained within the coded letters.
Dr Courtney said: “This story was taken up by the media internationally on a tremendous scale because it is a compelling and unique story.
“A super-rare discovery of unknown letters by one of history’s most recognisable names is one thing, but it’s even more of a story that the discovery was made by a team spread right across the world, collaborating on decoding, transcribing and analysing the texts in their spare time.
“It was a lot of fun to be involved in the making of the documentary. However, it had some pretty unique challenges, not least how you could make the story of four people corresponding with each other visually interesting… You can’t just film us on our laptops in our spare rooms!”
As such, the documentary has a distinctly global feel with Lasry, Biermann and Tomokiyo based in Israel, Germany and Japan respectively, combined with footage filmed at key locations in France, Scotland and the site of what was Sheffield Castle, where Mary wrote the letters in captivity.
Dr Courtney was recorded talking about his part in the project at Selwyn College, which holds particularly pertinent memories for him, having read History and begun his research into James VI and I there.
He said: “The film maker Augustin Viatte, his director of photography and I first met in town and discussed possible locations for filming around Cambridge. At the end of the day, we walked past Selwyn. I mentioned that I was a student there, so they asked if we could look around.
“They happened to see the new Harrison Room, which has large modern windows looking out onto this beautiful Victorian Gothic Revival court.
“Because of the College’s personal connection with me, they thought that would fit authentically and also work for what they might do visually.
“In the documentary, those large windows are fitted with enormous, partly translucent printouts of a selection of the letters. They form a distinctive backdrop to the interview.
“That was very special. I got slightly emotional when filming began because that was my first sight of the letters in really high-definition pictures, having only seen lower resolution scans of the encrypted originals before.”
A premiere of the original documentary was recently held in the Grand Auditorium of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France’s François Mitterrand site.
Dr Courtney was thrilled by the occasion, which was attended by many of those involved in the production.
He said: “It was a unique experience first seeing this television production in cinematic form and it holds up on that scale.
“The really special thing about that occasion, though, is that it was the first time George, Norbert and I had been in the same place together. It was such a joy to meet them in person at last.
“Satoshi couldn’t come over from Japan, but they had a specially recorded message from him at the start of the screening, which was lovely.”
Dr Courtney and his colleagues, together with historians Estelle Paranque and Michael Questier, are now working on the first edition of all the newly-discovered letters of Mary Stuart, alongside essays on their historical importance and the process of their decryption.
The Secret Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots is being broadcast on BBC2 on Monday 20 October at 9pm and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.